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"And if I were to take a guess, I'd say you decided to help her get revenge on her dick of an-ex."
The cheese begins to melt, and I increase the heat to high and cook the omelet further. Meanwhile, I pop two slices of bread in the toaster.
"You could have told me," he continues in a hurt voice.
"There’s nothing to tell because it’s all true." Goldie’s voice sounds behind me.
I stiffen, but continue to watch the omelet, checking the bottom to make sure it browns. Once I’m satisfied, I fold it, then slide it onto a plate. I sprinkle the remaining ham. Only then, do I turn to find Finn contemplating her.
Goldie looks unperturbed. Her face is flushed from the shower, and her hair is tied up in a pony tail. Her face is bare of make-up, and she looks fresh-faced and gorgeous. Also, she’s wearing a silken kimono that comes to above her knees and leaves her legs bare. I narrow my gaze on her; she tilts up her chin.
Finn looks between us. "You mean to say you’re engaged to this douchebag? You, who couldn’t stand the sight of him?" Finn widens his stance. "If I remember correctly, the two of you could barely see eye-to-eye every time we had a discussion about Solene’s security detail."
She waves a regal hand in the air. "That was foreplay."
I cough.
Finn seems taken aback.
"Ever hear the old enemies-to-lovers adage? That’s us. We were enemies—"
"—but now we’re lovers," I pitch in helpfully.
Finn barks out a laugh. "You expect me to believe that?"
She arches a shoulder. "Honestly, it’s none of your business, and I don’t care what you believe. But because Rick’s your best friend, I understand you feel a little left out. Maybe this will convince you."
She glides across the floor in her red ballet flats. When she reaches me, she rises up on tip-toes, wraps her palm around the back of my neck, and urges me to lower my head to hers.
19
Gio
I press my lips to his, and I must take him by surprise, for he allows me to brush my mouth over his. His breath smells of mint, and the heat of his body is scorching hot, but the kiss itself is soft. Unremarkable, even.
A part of me is happy that the chemistry I imagined between us, clearly, doesn’t translate to anything. But the emptiness in my stomach, and the hollow feeling in my chest say otherwise. And I was so sure there was something between us, that it would be explosive when we finally kissed.
I begin to pull away when he flattens his big palm over my hip. He holds me in place, tilts his head, and his mouth firms. He licks my lower lip, and I gasp. Instantly, he slides his tongue over mine, and I melt into him. He pulls me close, deepens the kiss, and drinks from me. He sucks on my tongue, and my head spins. My knees wobble. I grab at his shoulders to hold on as he kisses me and kisses me. My nipples tighten, my breasts hurt, my pussy clenches, a thousand little flares fan to life under my skin… And then I’m free. I sway, and he holds me until I regain my footing. I stare into those arctic blue eyes, now dotted with silver sparks. As they fade away, his usual noncommittal mask falls into place.
Behind us, Finn clears his throat, and I jump back. I spin around, pop my hip out, and plant my palm on it. "See?" I clear my throat. "The engagement is not fake."
"Well, it’s clear the two of you can’t keep your hands off each other, but if you want to convince the media, you need to get a ring."
"The media?" The blood drains from my face.
"Don’t tell me the two of you didn't think about the media attention this is going to generate when it gets out that the captain of the London Ice Kings is engaged… And to the PR manager of the team?"
I stiffen. To be honest, I hadn’t thought this through. And I’m in charge of publicity for the team. It should have been the first thing I thought of when he announced to the team we're engaged. But I was so taken aback, all thoughts of PR slipped out of my head. The only images I held were those Rick's hot body and the things I wanted him to do to mine. There was this nagging sensation that I was missing something when I agreed to pose as his fake fiancée, but I allowed my lust for him to blind me. I mean, sure, it’ll help me show my asshole ex I’ve moved on, but it’s also going to fuel a paparazzi frenzy. It’s a miracle the word hasn’t leaked to the press already. It’s only a matter of time before someone outside the team gets wind of it.
"I should have realized this.” I wring my fingers together. "I should have thought this through. I should have—"
"It’s okay; we’ll handle it." Rick places his palm on the small of my back. The gesture is comforting—more than it should be. It also feels like the heat from his touch is branding me. Despite the turmoil in my mind, those tiny flares fan into flames. I manage to push aside the lust that licks at the corners of my senses.
“This is my job. I should have foreseen this. I should have had a plan. I—"
"You do have a plan."
I frown, then glance at him over my shoulder. "I do?"
